The solution to "O licensing", overloading and more??

[treequip]

For me the fuel/running costs are not the issue. When it works it'll be priced to earn good money. But in my current situation that would only be about half the year so low overheads is what I need.

If in that half year I'd need to pay for a years worth of o-license inspections etc I'd soon be too expensive for a lot of jobs.

 

That's OK then, it was the first issue that came to mind

[Daniël Bos]

Fuel cost for my merc 814 (6l 6cyl, 8,5t permanent weight...) were scarily similar to what I get from the defender+trailer!

[gensetsteve]

Trouble is with the o licence is if you are going to get a 4600kg gross truck you may as well get a 7.5 tonne. If you are going to the hassle of O licence you may as well get the hgv and buy a lorry with decent payload that costs less to buy than a 7.5 tonner and breaks less often because its made better and so it keeps going. The small business wants slightly larger safer trucks, I dont think vosa would object as it would improve safety. Why do we not have them is fat cats in the haulage industry are afraid it would dent their profits.

[treequip]

Trouble is with the o licence is if you are going to get a 4600kg gross truck you may as well get a 7.5 tonne. If you are going to the hassle of O licence you may as well get the hgv and buy a lorry with decent payload that costs less to buy than a 7.5 tonner and breaks less often because its made better and so it keeps going. The small business wants slightly larger safer trucks, I dont think vosa would object as it would improve safety. Why do we not have them is fat cats in the haulage industry are afraid it would dent their profits.

 

I know quite a few people in the haulage industry, some are fat but there aren't any fat cats. Who are you referring to?

[Peter]

If the Arb industry had slightly larger trucks they would be overloaded just the same as they are now.

 

7.5 tonners are even easier to overload than 3.5 tonners in my experience.

 

Inspection costs are about £10 per week, and faults get picked up earlier than they would without being inspected, which has saved me money and means maintenance costs get spread out through the year rather than getting a big bill at mot time.

 

It's nothing to do with the haulage industry, a restricted o licence specifically prohibits haulage work and is accordingly easier to get.

[gensetsteve]

I know quite a few people in the haulage industry, some are fat but there aren't any fat cats. Who are you referring to?

 

The large haulage outfits belong to associations that lobby parliment and look after their interests.

[treequip]

The large haulage outfits belong to associations that lobby parliment and look after their interests.

 

But the 3500kg limit is a European harmonisation thing so any lobbying to change that would need to be done in Brussels

 

Even if they do lobby I don't see how keeping small businesses under 3500 kg would help them

[gensetsteve]

But the 3500kg limit is a European harmonisation thing so any lobbying to change that would need to be done in Brussels

 

Even if they do lobby I don't see how keeping small businesses under 3500 kg would help them

 

One reason for pulling out of europe would be to create our own rules not saying it would be a good move but some things would be more sensible. By keeping small businesses under 3500kg means anything weighing over 1400kg needs to be transported on a vehicle with operators licence unless you put it on a plant trailer then you have tacho laws and fuel equivalent to a lorry any way.

[treequip]

One reason for pulling out of europe would be to create our own rules not saying it would be a good move but some things would be more sensible. By keeping small businesses under 3500kg means anything weighing over 1400kg needs to be transported on a vehicle with operators licence unless you put it on a plant trailer then you have tacho laws and fuel equivalent to a lorry any way.

 

I agree but its not like getting a licence granted is rocket science, I managed it all by my lonesome

[gensetsteve]

I agree but its not like getting a licence granted is rocket science, I managed it all by my lonesome

 

True I guess there is some logic in if you cant handle the £500 fee and checks should you be driving around in truck over 3500kg.